A Gift from the Goddess

Chapter 71

Chapter Seventy–One 

I awoke the next day sometime in the mid-afternoon. Not that it was very surprising given the events that had occurred the night before. 

Confusion was my initial reaction, finding myself in a strange bed, before my mind finally caught up. It still all seemed so crazy that, had it not been for the aching in my body, perhaps I would have thought the entire thing was just a nightmare. Or maybe I could have at least pretended it was. 

I changed into some clothes that were left for me and made my way into the living room, my movements all still incredibly stiff... only I found the quarters to be completely empty. I knew it was unreasonable to expect Aleric to be here but a part of me was still on edge from almost being kidnapped. Had he left to speak to Tytus in my stead? 

A knocking then came from the front door, making me jump, and I approached it warily. 

“Yes?” I called out. 

Without any warning, the door then swung open to reveal Alexander behind it. He must have heard my footsteps from inside. 

“Afternoon,” he greeted. “Aleric had to go organise some things but I‘ve been placed on watch duty. I‘ll be out here if you need me.” 

“Oh. Okay,” was all that came out of my mouth. How was I meant to react to that? Didn‘t Alexander have better things to do? I felt like an inconvenience. 

“Don‘t look so forlorn, things could have been worse,” he added, mistaking my expression. “I took over the watch from Brayden about an hour ago so you could have had him sulking out here instead.” 

That sounded like Brayden. I could easily believe how annoyed he was at being put on babysitting duty; our relationship never having evolved past mutually putting up with one another. Not to mention that, for a Gamma, his ego was far too big. 

“Thanks, Alexander,” I said quietly. 

He smiled with a nod before closing the door again between us. 

I now stood alone once more in the empty room, unsure what to do with myself. Should I be out helping somehow? Organising some patrols? No, I hadn‘t done anything like that in months given I was no longer a Beta heir. 

Useless. I felt useless. Like a damsel in distress, locked in a tower. And none of it made any sense. 

What was Thea‘s plan with kidnapping me anyway? Had I triggered whatever the required event was without knowing, allowing for my demise now? But I couldn‘t recall impacting anything of importance recently. Was it the meeting with Alpha Frederick, stopping the deal for the casino? That didn‘t seem like such a momentous event though, and it was one I had no influence on in the previous timeline. 

So what was the real motivation here? 

I sat on the couch, mulling in frustration for some time, continuing to try and make sense of the night before. But every time I thought I might have a possible explanation, I would find some flaw in the reasoning. 

“Aria?” a voice then said from the door, snapping me out of my head. 

I looked up startled to see Aleric had returned, the windows now dark as night had fallen. I really had spaced out for some time. 

Chapter Sureny one 

Woah, it‘s just me,” he clarified at my reaction. “Sorry, I didn‘t mean to scare you. I thought you would have heard the door open.” 

I cleared my throat, my brow furrowing slightly. “No, no, it‘s all good. I was just lost in thought.” 

“How are you feeling?” he asked, walking across the room to peer out the window. 

“Fine, I guess? Better than last night... Did you talk to Tytus today?” 

Aleric then became distracted, as if concentrating on something else. 

“Something like that. No further punishment for you but I‘ll be taking all the bad patrol shifts for the next few months. They‘ll be adding stricter patrols at the packhouse from now on too... not that it matters.....” 

It could have been worse. Much worse. I was grateful that Tytus hadn‘t decided to move my marking date up in response to the intruder scare or my unplanned adventure out of the pack; though not technically m y fault for that last one. 

The insane part was that this was really my life. I was walking on eggshells around Tytus and praying that I managed to change my fate before he took my choice away. 

“Aria,” Aleric called, pulling my attention once more. “I know you‘re still tired but I need you to follow me.” 

I was a little taken aback by the abruptness of his request but assumed he must be wanting to show met o my new room for the night. The old quarters were now a security risk and had a broken door so it made sense to put me somewhere else. 

Silently, I got up and trailed behind him, letting him lead me through the packhouse. 

...Only we kept going down the floors without stopping. 

Not just that, but the packhouse was also eerily quiet with no one in sight along the route we took. Didn‘t Aleric say that they were going to be increasing patrols here? 

reached the ground level, now completely perplexed. “Aleric... What‘s

n?” 

me gently forward. “I‘ll answer your questions soon.”

frowned but resumed following anyway, wanting to put my trust in him that he wasn‘t about to lead me down another misadventure. Only that hope

a different building that they were going to

I didn‘t stop or question it further, following him into the

for some time in silence and I could feel the tension coming off Aleric. And the further we went, the harder it became not to press him for information,

now?” | asked, knowing that in a second it would be too

then came into view as they walked into the middle of the road, waiting to screen the car at the border exit. There was no

about it,” he replied, driving ahead without

as we approached and I anxiously

app evenly the 

as the warrior peered in through

never

the two, before h e accelerated once more, driving past the exit and over the borderline.

going on?” I stressed, now

my eyes finally caught sight of a bag on the back seat. It was my

done?” I

to safety. If you don‘t get killed by some other means then I‘m sure Tytus will drive you to that point. I can‘t silently

he‘d gone completely insane. His explanation didn‘t warrant the consequences h e would face. Did he even stop to think

pulled off to the side of the road where it dipped out of sight. A small nook mostly obscured by trees. It was maybe five minutes down the road so

around us was quiet, I watched as he reached down and handed me

You‘ll need all the help you can get until you can get

uncovered it, revealing that it was a silver

I chided, trying my best to put aside my grievances towards the object in my hand. “You realise Tytus is going to know it was you, right? It‘s going to be very easy to work that out even if he doesn‘t just order the other

tightening back on the steering wheel,

just bad patrol shifts. He‘s going to make you seriously pay. Alpha heir or not, it won‘t

“I know that.” 

can just order you to tell him where I am, right? That tomorrow morning they‘ll realise I‘m gone and the manhunt for me will instantly begin, starting from where you tell them I am.”

know that, Aria,” he hissed.

I snapped back. “Because I‘m struggling to understand why you‘re jeopardising your entire future for this, Aleric. It doesn‘t make sense that you‘re

cut himself off. “No... It doesn‘t matter. I‘ve already

not this again,” I argued, just as irritated. “I‘m sick of you not telling me what you‘re actually thinking about. I‘m sick of the silent treatments or snippets of info. Just, tell me Aleric. Tell me why the hell you‘re

love with you, Aria, okay? Is that what you want me to admit?” His eyes finally flicked over to mine, full of frustration and pain. “You want me to sit here and tell you that when we both know it‘s not a mutually reciprocated feeling?

Chapter Seventy–One 

o goddamn pointless?” 

This wasn‘t

couldn‘t be. I was having some sort of weird dream or vision or nightmare. But this wasn‘t real. No way. No way

frozen in place, momentarily forgetting how to breathe. How long had I suffered to hear those words from Aleric in the past? How long had it taken before

probably still in bed. Maybe I had actually died last night. Because there was absolutely no

an attempt to speak, to say something, anything, to him... but no words came out. Where would I even begin?

the noise of a motorbike approaching

looked up towards the sound, able to see better into the darkness

a tosser,” he whispered,

still spinning, working overtime to try and comprehend everything that

no mistaking the

think it is?” I asked, my

sound of metal clinking against the dagger broke me out

those,” Aleric said, unbuckling his seat belt. “The bike will be too conspicuous. Can‘t believe he brought

f the Winter Mist. I followed

to him, rubbing my forehead to try and focus. “How are

instead yelling back over his shoulder as he walked towards

uncertainty filled me. I didn‘t want to leave things how we had. Regardless of what he’d said, I didn‘t want this to be

wait a s–.”

a great rest of your life. I hope for your

he was gone. Into the trees and probably shifted

didn‘t even get the chance to thank him... though I wasn‘t even sure whether that was the correct response given the circumstances. With just

husky voice then

and with

final trigger. His voice was enough to instantly destroy the last bit of strength

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